


Mere echoes

by hirikosaunders



Category: Death Note, Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 10:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4784717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hirikosaunders/pseuds/hirikosaunders





	1. Going to Japan

One might say Near did not believe in ghosts. Belief, at least in Near's view, depended too much on emotion and opinion and little on facts and reliable information. It was then perhaps truer to say that Near had seen no proof of ghosts in his lifetime that he considered solid enough to comment upon them at all. He would only go so far as to say while possible, it was highly improbable that such beings could in fact inhabit the world. Knowing Shinigami could come to Earth and bring with them such an instrument of murder as the Death Note did lend some credence to otherworldly creatures that mortals could not see with their naked eyes. Still, there were enough differences that one did not necessarily prove the other.

So when he began hearing rumors that people believed the old Kira headquarters was haunted he dismissed it as unlikely. He had no reason to go to Japan, and even less reason to visit the place where the previous L was murdered. Still, his curiosity was peaked, actually distracting him slightly. Of course, others wouldn't notice it, but he did which made him decide that something had to be done. It naturally did not escape his notice that by the time he arrived in Japan, and was actually able to begin looking into the matter, it would be Halloween.

Time went quickly enough as he finished his current case so that he could direct his full attention to whatever evidence he might find.

The airport in Japan had not changed much as he arrived with Gevanni. Since he had no desire to waste time he went directly to the headquarters. Unfortunately, since such incidents could not be planned he felt the most logical, if logical could applied to what he was about to undertake, course of action would be to stay in the building until he encountered whatever it was that had people so convinced of ghostly activity. The most difficult part would be what actually constituted 'evidence' of a paranormal occurrence. The cameras were still there, and functioned quite well surprisingly, but it would be shortsighted of him to depend upon them alone. If this was some prank, or some well constructed rouse for a yet undiscovered purpose, then certainly whoever was behind it would make sure there was something to be seen or heard so that whomever discovered it would be aware of what had been done and the person responsible could then enjoy the fact they had succeeded with their trick.

It was only after some research, and a few dealings with customs, that he had arranged for several pieces of equipment to be waiting for him. He personally would oversee their preparation so that he could be sure he had taken out any chance of error when they recorded. Now he only needed to wait.


	2. The Kira Headquarters

Near spent so much time setting up the machines, and beginning to sort through what still worked of the equipment left in the headquarters, that it was sunset by the time he was settled in front of the cameras. Everything had been erased, as per L's orders, but Near had nothing but time, since he had to keep observing the equipment. He began the arduous task of seeing if he could salvage any of the deleted information. As the automatic lights came on for the first time many, many years Near searched the screens twirling a strand of his hair. It took him several hours, but he find something. It actually was likely saved because it hadn't been tagged as evidence when things had been organized on the hard drive. The video, at first, seemed innocuous enough. L was leaning forward. Though there was food in front of him he wasn't touching it. In fact, he wasn't moving at all. He barely seemed to even be breathing. Light was across from him working on a computer, and Near could see the chain that dangled between then.

"Light-kun." L said not turning his head towards the other.

"Yes, Ryuzaki?" Light answered not pausing in his work.

"Do you think about the future often?" The chain made a sound between them and Near could see that Light had finally turned to look at L, though L had made no such movement himself.

"Yes. I know what I want to do, and I have a plan in mind for how to accomplish it quickly." His tone of voice told Near that this plan had likely been made when he was young, and only streamlined throughout the years with very little deviation from how it was conceived.

"I see. I have not you know." L lifted his face, but his focus was on an empty creamer container he seemed to be pondering.

"Why?" Light glanced at him intently.

"I'm sure you already suspect the obvious, but I will share something else with you, Light-kun. If you try to hold the future too tightly you have already lost I believe." He shrugged and the movement caused the chain to ripple between them. "I prefer to be adaptable and not let myself get so set on something that it blinds me to other options."

"Liar." Light whispered. "You won't consider that any one else could be Kira even when the evidence stares you in the face. How does that fit with this idea of yours?"

"There is contrary evidence as well, Light-kun. You seem to forget that." L didn't finish as he pushed a button. It didn't take long for Watari to come in with a tray of sweets and L to pick one of them up.

"That isn't an answer, L." But Light didn't seem too upset by it, amused was perhaps a better word as he went back to his work.

The video faded out and Near twirled his hair again considering it. L had already been laying some clever scheme, but from the date he couldn't have known about the Death Note yet. What had he been plotting then? And why mention that to Light of all people? L had been getting at something he was sure, but for the moment he would have to contemplate it for another day.

Strangely, though without him having touched the machine the video played again. This time he could swear the sound of the chain grew louder, almost as if it was moving, which it clearly was not for the majority of the footage. Stranger yet he heard voices, very soft almost as if they might be in another part of the building, and footsteps as though two people were walking, as the video faded. He played it again, but did not get the same result. It could be just for that viewing the audio became slightly out of sync, but that made little sense to him. He went to study the machines and they showed no activity.

He spent the rest of the night trying to repeat the occurrence, but proved unsuccessful.

Early the next morning Gevanni arrived. They would be leaving in the early evening so they set to work disbanding the machines Near had brought.

As they were driving to the airport the light having given way to darkness Gevanni finally asked Near, "Did you find anything?" Near was surprised he waited so long, but then the other man did understand business first, then curiosity later.

"Nothing. Mere echoes." He said wondering if that wasn't, in the end, what all humans were reduced to. Echoes in the minds of those who remembered them after they were gone. Perhaps that what all ghosts really were. Somehow those people who longed for them gave the strength to act on their own. Whatever was responsible for what he had seen, actually paranormal activity or mechanical malfunction, he would carry the memory of L and Kira for as long as he lived. He may be called "L", but Near always behaved with the knowledge that while he might carry the title he would never be L. It didn't matter to him really, but as they reached the airport he found himself wondering what to do about the Kira headquarters. He was not sentimental, but for some reason he found he didn't wish to keep it empty. He would find a use for it, and make the arrangements soon enough. If nothing else he might eventually get the proof he sought. For the moment, though, he was content with what he had deemed 'mere echoes'. Neither L nor Kira would want to make things easy for him. This could simply be the beginning of his greatest investigation. He would know eventually.


End file.
